Our Verdict

The GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Kung Foon is more than your average fork-spoon hybrid utensil. With integrated chopsticks, it doubles as an extra long cooking tool or disassembles into two independent pieces of silverware. While both clever in design and witty in name, this product is bulky and heavy. It does make for a funny gift, though, for your outdoorsy friends.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Review by:
Leslie Yedor

Last Updated:
Thursday
May 17, 2018

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There isn't much you can't eat when armed with chopsticks, a fork, and a spoon. The GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Kung Foon packs a punch, or perhaps we should say a karate chop and delivers all three culinary tools in a single device. Weighing in at nearly 2-ounces and reaching 10.5-inches when combined, this was the heaviest and longest model we tested. While it's good for car camping and makes an amusing gift, it's not worth its weight in the backcountry.

Older models came with a tin carrying case, but as of 2018, it comes with a sleek nylon bag instead.

Performance Comparison

Witty humor may earn an eye-roll from some, but we love the name of this product.

Eating

This product was designed for chopstick lovers. It handles food like any classic set and was wonderful to have when eating noodles. The stainless steel spork, on the other hand, was cumbersome. The metal handle curves to allow the chopsticks to be securely inserted, but the shape makes holding the handle without the chopsticks uncomfortable. The tines are also tiny and close together which impedes its fork-like function of stabbing food.

Chopsticks and ramen were meant for each other and this pair was no exception.

Cooking

Although we liked the added reach of the extended configuration, it felt flimsy in hand and occasionally came apart with vigorous stirring. A non-stick pan is no match for this competitor. One pass across the non-stick surface and it left a deeper gouge than any of the other models we tested.

The added length keeps fingers far above whatever's cooking.

Alone, the chopsticks excelled at cooking and made a great addition to a camp kitchen. They also won't scratch your non-stick pans. If you have space, try bringing a pair on your next backpacking trip, but opt for the Vargo Titanium ULV as your accompanying utensil.

Cleaning

The smooth titanium surface of the spork made cleaning a simple task, but the wood chopsticks were a different matter. Food particles clung to the unfinished wood making them difficult to rinse clean. The teeny tiny holes at the tops of the chopsticks also accumulated food that we still haven't figured out how to remove without a needle.

The little wholes at the tops of the chopsticks are pesky to keep clean.

Durability

The metal portion of this model is considerably hefty rendering it practically indestructible. The chopsticks, on the other hand, are quite the opposite. Thinner than traditional chopsticks, this pair is prone to breaking, particularly in a rugged backcountry environment. Unfortunately, the unique shape of these chopsticks is required for combining this product and the manufacturer does not sell replacement chopsticks.

Try as we might the robust metal portion of this product wouldn't break or bend.

Best Applications

Great for your niece's first camping trip or a novel gift for your daughter's new boyfriend, this product is sure to entertain even if its technical performance leaves room for improvement. If your camp meals tend to be a hot bowl of Ramen Surprise, though, you won't find a better utensil.

Value

Can you put a price on humor? If not, this is a great buy at $12, but it's also tied for the most expensive model of all of the products we tested. If you're looking for something a bit more practical and affordable, the humangear GoBites Uno won our Best Buy Award for exactly those reasons.

You won't get an optimal price to performance ratio, but you will buy a good chuckle.

Conclusion

We love the witty humor of the GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Kung Foon, but it's cutlery capabilities didn't exactly live up to its name. While it scored slightly above average in every category, it was just too middle of the road to take home any awards. GSI needs to head back to the dojo if it wants to be promoted to a darker belt after the next competition.

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